Progressive Politics in Minnesota, the Nation, and the World

They Need To Pay A Price

In politics, bad policy is supposed to be corrected. The outcry of the public is supposed to matter. This insane idea of separating children from their parents at the border should have been shut down at the inception. Where were the voices of sanity? Are there any?

Today, it is said that Trump will finally sign an executive order to end this policy. (Although we have not had the actual signature show yet). But it has gone on far longer than anyone would have thought. The reactions have been swift and negative but the majority Republican Party could not bring themselves to join those reactions.

They made excuses. They outright supported it. Or they did nothing.

They need to pay a price.

To put vulnerable children at risk is just anathema to all that we believe. At least it used to be. But it is hard to tell anymore, how far this President and his enablers will go to make immigration a house of horrors.

I keep talking about our moral compass. I don't think I will anymore because the ruling party has none. When they start talking about moral values anytime in the future, I will have to laugh at the absurdity. The policies of Trump are cruel, they are based on false premises, and they are acted upon without so much as an analysis.

I cannot fathom how ridiculous this democratic society has become. When Republicans support child incarceration with a 55% majority within the party, you have to question their basic heart.

This should be a lesson going into November. Do not forget the children crying. Do not ignore the cries of Mama and Papa. I know these kids will never be able to forget how vulnerable and alone they felt. And it will follow them for the rest of their lives - wherever they end up.

I have been frustrated by Republicans. They laugh off our concerns. They equate liberals to lower life forms. And yet, they think that these policies that they support are somehow rational.

Freedom Needs Defending - We Need To Act

Is this really America anymore? How much more of this are we going to allow? After all, this is being done in our name. The people of the United States are complicit in a massive incarceration of children.

Sounds pretty bad doesn't it. But this President and his Attorney General think this is a viable solution to our immigration problem.

What is even more grotesque about this is that these are not "illegals". They are simply oppressed people looking for safe harbor. They are applying for asylum under US immigration law. They are coming to the border, turning themselves in and asking for refuge.

And our response is to take their children away from them without telling them where they are taking them or how to contact them.

Asylum seekers treated as criminals.

And through this outrage, Trump will not even take responsibility for the action. He blames Democrats. He blames laws that give him the option. He blames everyone but himself.

He knows the truth. He can end this with a wave of his hand. For once, he has the actual executive power to end this travesty. He doesn't need Congress and he doesn't have to make up a new rule. He can just say, Stop it.

But he won't do that. In his warped mindset, he thinks this is some kind of deterrent. That we can stop people from taking up the Statue of Liberty's offer and seek a new life in a country of opportunity. Trump does not want them. He thinks they are the enemy. While he cozies up to dictators, he thinks that the people they oppress are the real adversary.

I can't believe that we have come to this. I really can't. I have always felt that the people of the United States could never be convinced that this type of cruelty can actually be allowed. I guess I was wrong. It's happening. And the only defense these people have is, once again, the ACLU.

The rule of law is supposed to protect people involved with this country. We are supposed to have our day in court. Trump is making that day as difficult as possible. He lies about it. He blocks it. He pushes his agents to make things as difficult as he can. And he takes away children. The horrible nature of such a thing cannot be allowed to happen.

We are not an autocratic state. Deep within us is the compassion and empathy that will end this assault on decency.

We, as the citizens of a free nation, must insist that freedom win out and that families are kept sacred and intact.

NFL And The Trump Flag

The NFL capitulated to Trump. Yes, they prostrated themselves in front of the orange one and followed the will of the President.

And the First Amendment is the victim.

NFL players are not disrespecting the flag. They aren't stomping on it. They aren't burning it. Although those acts would be justified under the first amendment as well.

But they are kneeling. With their hand over their heart. The flag is no worse off then it has ever been. But one person has decided that this is a sign of disrespect, and he is forcing others to accept his opinion.

There is no question that black Americans are being treated differently in many avenues of daily life. The NFL players were trying to draw particular attention to police treatment of the black community. They did it quietly. They did it non-violently. They did it respectfully....yes, respectfully.

The First Amendment has been protected for good reasons. Soldiers have fought and died for it's authority in our speech. But it cannot be respected when we allow particular points of view to be negated by authoritarian interventions.

Several years ago, Nazi's decided to hold a march and rally in Skokie, IL. A predominantly Jewish community. Skokie officials wanted it blocked, for good reasons. They feared violence and retaliation. It went to the courts and the courts sided with the Nazi marchers because the First Amendment has no favorites regarding what people can lawfully say and do.

They marched with city protection in place and heavy security. But it did not destroy the community. It provided some intense dialogue, but no one got hurt and the community soon got back to normal.

A triumph of reasonableness under the First Amendment.

But the NFL, under pressure from Trump, has mocked First Amendment rights. They are desecrating the flag themselves because they do not seem to believe in what it really stands for.

Liberty and freedom are not just for you and what you think. It is also for those that disagree with you and vocalize that disagreement. Yes, we are talking about liberty and freedom - the real liberty and freedom which sets us apart from every country on earth.

If the NFL insists on this dubious policy, then I hope the NFL Players challenge it - on the field and in the courts.